Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics (NPLCs) improve the quality of primary care in their communities by providing well person care, health promotion, disease prevention, chronic disease management, and care co-ordination for their registered patients. Through a collaborative practice approach which includes Registered Practical Nurses, collaborating Family Physicians, Social Workers and Pharmacist, Nurse Practitioners in NPLCs provide comprehensive, accessible, and coordinated family health care services to individuals and families who, prior to joining the NPLC, did not have access to a primary care provider (i.e. unattached patients).
WRNPLC prides itself on inter-agency teamwork and the following community partnerships;
- Conestoga College– Nursing and Health Informatics students have worked with us on data collection and analysis. There is College representation on our Board of Directors
- Rapid Access Addiction Medicine- In partnership with House of Friendship and Stonehenge Therapeutic Communities, WRNPLC provides Nurse Practitioner support and expertise as well as space at both sites for this NP-led model of Addiction Medicine http://raamww.ca/
- Lutherwood– In partnership with Lutherwood, WRNPLC is able to provide children’s mental health support to our younger patients and their families. Lutherwood provides access to a Children’s Mental Health worker for our patients onsite (currently this is provided virtually) as well as support and direction to our clinical staff.
Quick Facts:
- The Waterloo Region Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic is one of 25 NPLCs in Ontario
- Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics (NPLCs) are a primary health care delivery model in which Nurse Practitioners are the lead providers of primary health care
- NPLCs provide comprehensive primary health care to people of all ages and all health conditions across the province of Ontario
- NPLCs are governed by a volunteer Board of Directors
- Nurse Practitioners collaborate with a team that includes our patients, Dietitians, Pharmacists, Registered Practical Nurses, Social Workers and Administrative Staff. Family physicians are available for consultation
- Nurse Practitioners diagnose, treat, counsel, prescribe medications, order diagnostic tests, refer to specialists, and perform procedures for their patients
- Nurse Practitioners have the competence to provide comprehensive health assessment, to diagnose health/ illness conditions, and to treat and manage acute and chronic illness within a holistic model of care.
What Patients say about Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic Care:
“A very professional and friendly approach, recommend to all my friends”
“All of the staff made me feel very comfortable”
“A very thorough exam”
“You can ask more than one question when you have more than one problem”